18 Days Tanzania and Rwanda Safari: Our 18 Days Tanzania and Rwanda Safari is just one of the long tours that we offer to our clients who wish to see more wildlife, gorillas and primates. During this 18 Days Tanzania and Rwanda Safari, you will visit top wildlife destinations including Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania where you will not only get to view a variety of wildlife animals but also witness the Wildebeest Migration (Depending on which season you book). You will also get to do double gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park and chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
This tour begins in Arusha, Tanzania and ends in Kigali, Rwanda.
Highlights for 18 Days Tanzania and Rwanda Safari (Primates, Gorillas, Wildlife and Wildebeest Migration)
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha (07:20hrs at JRO airport)- Visit Materuni Waterfalls
Day 2: Pickup and from Arusha and Drive to Central Serengeti for an Evening Game Drive.
Day 3: Drive Grumeti Area for a Game Drive
Day 4: Full Day Game Drive in Grumeti Serengeti Area
Day 5: Morning Game Drive and Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Day 6: Crater Game Drive and Guided Nature Walk in the Crater Rim
Day 7: Visit Mto Wa Mbu Village and Drive to Lake Manyara for evening walking safari
Day 8: Morning Game Drive in Tarangire NP and Fly to Kigali
Day 9: Pickup in Kigali and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 10: First Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes NP Rwanda and Visit Iby’iwacu Village
Day 11: Second Gorilla Trek and Optional visit to Dian Fossey Centre at Karisoke.
Day 12: Golden Monkey Trekking and Transfer to Lake Kivu (Gisenyi)
Day 13: Coffee Tour at Kinunu Washing Station.
Day 14: Morning boat cruise and Transfer to Nyungwe Forest national park
Day 15: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy Walk.
Day 16: Second Chimpanzee Trek
Day 17: Hike to Kamiranzovu Waterfalls
Day 18: Transfer Back to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary for 18 Days Tanzania and Rwanda Safari (Primates, Gorillas, Wildlife and Wildebeest Migration)
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha (07:20hrs at JRO airport)- Visit Materuni Waterfalls
Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport at 7:20am, our company representative will meet you at the airport. After a brief meet and greet session, you will then embark on about an hour’s drive to the starting point for your hike to Materuni waterfalls which are situated at the base of the famous Kilimanjaro Mountain. The waterfall is about a 45-minute walk from the starting point. Once you get to the waterfalls, you can spend quality time there and even swim if you wish.
As you return back, you can make an optional stopover at the local village for a coffee tour and have lunch at a local home stead if you wish. Later, drive to your hotel where you will spend the rest of your evening relaxing at leisure.
Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Pickup and from Arusha and Drive to Central Serengeti for an Evening Game Drive. (Approximately 7 hours’ drive)
You will be met by our Tanzania representative at your pickup location in Arusha (either at Kilimanjaro international airport or your hotel in Arusha). After a brief meet and greet session, you will embark on approximately a 7 hour’s drive to the central part of Serengeti National Park with a stopover for lunch enroute. Upon your arrival in the park, you will drive to your lodge/camp for check-in before heading out for an evening game.
During your game drive in the national park, you will enjoy the beautiful scenery such as the kopjes where lions can be seen as they watch their prey. You will also see various wildlife species such as elephants, buffalos, warthogs, hyenas, giraffes, wildebeests, antelopes, impalas among others during your game drive. You will proceed to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Drive Grumeti Area for a Game Drive (About 2-3 hours’ drive)
Wake up early in time to have breakfast at your lodge/camp. You will then meet up with your driver guide and embark on a 2-3 hours’ drive to Grumeti area in Serengeti national park and don’t forget to carry your packed lunch from the lodge/camp. It is located in the remote western parts of the national park and is a well-known site for viewing hippo pods, wildebeest migration, zebras and remarkable lion prides. During your game drive in this part of Serengeti national park, look out for large lion prides, clans of hyenas, big herds of resident plains game and wildebeests among others.
Later head to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Full Day Game Drive in Grumeti Serengeti Area
You will have an early breakfast at your lodge and your guide will drive you on a morning game viewing experience around the western part of Serengeti national park where you will search for wildlife species like lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, impalas, gazelles, kudu, rhinos among others.
After having your packed lunches, you will engage in an afternoon game drive in the park as you look out for wildlife species and later return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Morning Game Drive and Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Approximately 3 hours’ drive)
Have breakfast at your lodge and then meet up with your driver guide. You will then head out for a morning game drive as you head out of Serengeti national park and transfer to Ngorongoro conservation area. Use this game drive as an opportunity to search for any wildlife that you might not have seen during your previous game drives in the park. (Don’t forget to carry your packed lunch from the lodge before heading out).
Upon your arrival in Ngorongoro, you will check-into your lodge and spend the rest of your evening relaxing and unwinding. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Crater Game Drive and Guided Nature Walk in the Crater Rim
After having breakfast at your lodge, carry your packed lunch and embark on a crater game drive in Ngorongoro. You will also see wildlife species in the crater area such as elephants, buffalos, rhinos, zebras, waterbucks, antelopes, hyenas, gazelles, kudus, predators such as lions, leopards, cheetahs. You will also enjoy beautiful views of the scenery around you as you explore the Ngorongoro conservation area. After having your packed lunch, you will then proceed for a guided nature walk in Ngorongoro crater rim area later in the afternoon where you will get a chance to explore the park on foot as you view a variety of wildlife in the park.
Later return to your lodge/camp for dinner and overnight stay same as above.
Day 7: Visit Mto Wa Mbu Village and Drive to Lake Manyara for evening walking safari
You will have breakfast at the lodge and with your packed lunch head out for a cultural tour in Mto wa Mbu getting to explore the different cultures and tribes of Tanzania. After, your guide will drive you to Lake Manyara national park for an evening walking safari in the park. A walking safari in Lake Manyara
brings you up-close with nature and wild life including zebras, antelopes, and giraffes, among so many others. The walking safari is guided by park officials who are conversant with the park.
Later dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: Morning Game Drive in Tarangire NP and Fly to Kigali (Own arrangement)
Wake up in early in the morning and have breakfast at your lodge. You will then meet up with your driver guide and embark on a drive to Tarangire national park for a guided morning game drive in the park where you stand a chance to see wildlife animals leave their dens in search for the day’s catch. You will have lunch enroute to Arusha where your driver guide will drop you off at Kilimanjaro International Airport in time to check-in for your evening flight to Kigali. (Kindly ensure to book an evening flight out of Arusha if you plan to flight out on this day). Later dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9: Pickup in Kigali and Transfer to Volcanoes National Park.
Following your arrival in Kigali, you will be picked up from your hotel in Kigali and embark on a tour of Kigali City where you will visit interesting places such as Kigali Genocide Memorial center, Richard Kandt House, Kimironko market, and Nyamirambo Women’s Center among others. You will have lunch and then embark on a 3 hour drive your hotel/lodge in Volcanoes national park in Ruhengeri.
Later have dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10: First Gorilla Trekking Volcanoes NP Rwanda and Visit Iby’iwacu Village
Wakeup to an early morning breakfast and report to the park headquarters for briefing and allocation of Gorilla trekking groups. Later, you will head into the cold and misty forested slopes of Virunga national park for your Gorilla trek.
The trek can be anywhere between 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the Gorillas and upon finding them, you will be allowed 1 hour to see and take photos after which you exit the forest.
Meet your driver / guide and transfer back to the lodge. Later in the afternoon for a cultural tour at Ibyi’wacu Cultural tour. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 11: Second Gorilla Trek and Optional visit to Dian Fossey Centre at Karisoke.
As early at 6am, you will be expected to be up for breakfast and ready to set off for the trek. Our guide will meet you after having your breakfast and your lunches packed and he will take you to Kinigi Headquarters where you are expected to be given a brief before starting you second gorilla trek. This brief is done at 7am. You are given guidelines during this brief before you are allowed to start the trek. This gorilla trek can take to about 2 hours to half a day as it’s unpredictable. When you finally find the gorillas, you will have to maintain a 6 meters’ distance and you are allowed one hour to admire and take photos of the gorillas.
After the trek, you will have lunch and taken back to your hotel as the night before to relax and reminisce on the experience. You can ask the guide in case you want to have another activity in the evening at your own cost and he will advise. You can later choose to go on an optional visit to Dian Fossey Center at Karisoke where you will visit the Dian Fossey Museum and learn more about the conservation works that are still ongoing even after the death of Dian Fossey. Dinner and overnight will be at the same hotel as the night before.
Day 12: Golden Monkey Trekking and Transfer to Lake Kivu (Gisenyi)
Breakfast will be served early and drive back to the park headquarters for briefing and Golden Monkey trekking. The procedure is the same as Gorilla trekking but lasts only 3 to 5 hours and return to the lodge for lunch and to freshen up and later transfer to Lake Kivu for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 13: Coffee Tour at Kinunu Washing Station.
Wake up in time to have breakfast at your lodge. You will then meet up with your driver guide and embark on a drive to Kinunu washing station for a coffee tour. You will be taken through a guided tour as you learn more about how coffee is grown, harvested and processed in Rwanda before it’s packaged for exportation. Windup your tour with a cup of coffee and you can as well support the local community by purchasing some coffee.
Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 14: Morning boat cruise and Transfer to Nyungwe Forest national park
Wake up to a tasty breakfast and meet up with your driver guide. You will head out for a morning boat cruise on Lake Kivu where you will get a chance to explore the lake and also get to view bird species like the White-breasted Cormorants, African Fish Eagles and Pied Kingfishers among others. You will then transfer to Nyungwe national park arriving in time for lunch at the lodge. Spend the rest of your evening relaxing at the lodge/hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.
15: Chimpanzee tracking and Canopy Walk.
Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing before entering the forest, searching for the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are the easy to spot, as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimp tracking usually takes about 3-4 hours or more depending on their location. After your trek, you will embark on a 2 hours Canopy walk a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees. You will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving about below you. Before night fall, you will return to the hotel for dinner as above. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 16: Second Chimpanzee Trek
Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing before entering the forest, searching for the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest. (Remember to carry your packed lunch from the hotel). The Chimpanzees are the easy to spot, as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimp tracking usually takes about 3-4 hours or more depending on their location. After your trek, you will enjoy your packed lunch and then head back to base where you will find your driver guide waiting for you. Spend the rest of your evening relaxing at the hotel or you can do an optional visit to Gisakura tea estate for a tour of the tea estate and processing plant.
Dinner and overnight stay same as above.
Day 17: Hike to Kamiranzovu Waterfalls
Start your day with breakfast at your lodge. Drive to the park briefing point where you will be briefed by the park ranger. You will then commence your hike to Kamiranzovu waterfalls which is about a 4-6 hours’ hike depending on your hiking pace. After you hike, drive back to your lodge for lunch and spend the rest of your afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.
18: Transfer Back to Kigali
This will be a more leisurely drive back to Kigali with the visits enroute that you may have missed that is the King’s palace, Butare museum and connect to Kigali for drop off. This day you may opt to include an optional city tour in Kigali if you may have some time to spare. Drop off will be at Kigali international Airport or as you will advise.
End of Tour!
